Defense Ministry to set up training range in western Russia

A new training range measuring more than 50 square kilometers will be set up in the Bryansk Region in west Russia by the yearend, Russian Western Military District spokesman Igor Muginov said.

The training range will be used to train up to 1,000 servicemen simultaneously, the spokesman added.

"Training areas have been established at the range to improve firing skills. Tactical areas have been set up to train reconnaissance units, deploy communications, electronic warfare systems and mortar batteries," Muginov said.

According to the spokesman, troops will be able to fire various small arms and hand-held anti-tank grenade launchers to hit practice targets equipped with elevating and cable gear.

The range’s roads are designed to practice operating tracked and wheeled military hardware, the spokesman said.

"Military hardware operators will be able to improve their skills in negotiating track bridges, antitank ditches, slopes, hills, slaloms and other obstacles simulating natural terrain ruggedness," he added.